Everyone always says how much they love dogs and babies. I mean most of the television commercials I even remember have one of both in it. There really is no reason not to like dogs or babies. They are cute, fun, usually happy and – let’s face it – they don’t talk back. Babies and dogs can’t tell us what they are really thinking. They can’t say the word “no”. They communicate by cooing, smiling, or wagging their tail. They normally love everyone. They laugh or jump for joy at our silly antics of baby talk. They think our rendition of “Itsy Bitsy Spider” is the best they’ve ever heard. They think the latest dog treat is the best they’ve ever tasted. They are happy to see us and act like they’ve missed us - even if we’ve only just turned our back for 30 seconds.
But let’s face it. In reality, what we think they are communicating and what they really mean could be two totally different things.
My new granddaughter is being introduced to “real” foods. So when mommy or daddy shoves some tasteless green peas in her mouth, they are happy when she smiles and coos and eats it without going all “Exorcist” on them. But if you really watch her eyes, you know that there is much more going on in that little five-month-old brain of hers.
Daddy: “Come on pumpkin. Sweet peas! Yummy! Look, watch daddy taste them. Ick! Oh man, these really could use some salt. And maybe a steak to go with it. Ok, sweetie, come on, eat the nummy peas. Take one more bite for daddy. That’s right, eat it all.”
Baby: “Ok, seriously dad. You can’t even handle one bite and you expect me to eat the entire thing? Get real. I mean I appreciate mom going through the trouble to make me organic, fresh baby food – but I’d really be happy having some of the pepperoni pizza you’ve got there. And maybe some of that soda. Oh, I know, healthy smealthy. But when I’m a teenager and you wonder why I have weight issues, just think back to when you made me eat an entire bowl of tasteless green peas. Look, I appreciate what you are doing. But help a girl out here – I have needs too.”
Our three dogs definitely have minds of their own as well. Sure, they look cute, sweet and innocent. Just like our granddaughter. But I have no doubt there is a lot more going on in their minds than their adorable, furry expressions show.
Me: “Ok guys, mommy has to go to work now. You be good widdle doggies and I’ll be home soon!”
Dog #1: “Right. And tonight you’ll let me sleep on the bed. Not! Don’t think I don’t remember what you told me. You also promised an extra treat last night. What’s up with that? And can you please not talk baby talk to us – in dog years I’m old enough to be your grandpa. Hey guys, party in mom’s bedroom while she’s at work! Let’s sleep on the bed, drink outta the toilet and play catch with her new shoes. Who’s in?”
For now we are safe, I guess. Their little computer brains may be storing this information, but we can still look at their adorable, innocent faces and read whatever we want into their simple expressions. And according to my dogs and granddaughters, I am the most amazing person in the universe. No wonder I love them so much.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
I Want to Live Like My Dog
“A dog is like an eternal Peter Pan, a child who never grows old and who therefore is always available to love and be loved.”
--Aaron Katcher, American Educator and Psychiatrist
“Properly trained, a man can be dog's best friend.”
--Corey Ford, American writer
I want to be like my dog. He’s so full of life and zest and love. He doesn’t second guess anything I say or do and he lives his life “full steam ahead”, no questions asked. He believes me when I tell him how pretty he is after a haircut. He eats his meals with relish and doesn’t bemoan how many calories are in the kibble. He jumps for joy when given a treat, and doesn’t wonder if he should go to Weight Watchers because he got an extra bone for dessert.
How wonderful to be able to take doggy naps whenever you want. How great to wake up happy and refreshed and full of energy. Why can’t I walk two miles and still want to play? Why can’t I wear a dorky looking sweater and look incredibly adorable?
Like my dog, I want to be able to live my life full of joy and eternal happiness – to show my loved ones how much I adore them and want to be with them; to shower my friends with kisses – and to not look crazy when I shake my butt because I’m incredibly happy to see them.
I want to live like my dog. He lives in the present moment. He finds joy in everything he does. He doesn’t over-plan his days, forgetting about living in the “right now”…in fact he relishes in just “being”. He relaxes with abandon, lying on his back without a care in the world. He knows he is loved and lets me know that he is grateful for it – and will return it a thousand-fold.
I want to live like my dog…never worrying about what size I am or how my hair looks. My dog doesn’t question if someone likes him; actually there is no doubt in his mind. He plays in the mud and sticks his head out of the car window to feel the wind in his face, gloriously taking in all his surroundings while his ears fly back behind his head. He smiles when he sees me, running with glee to tell me how much he’s missed me even if we’ve only been apart for a moment.
To be like my dog will make me a better person. I will always consider and appreciate my humanness, but will also try to learn to live what comes so naturally for my dog: 1) Enjoy life for what it is 2) Be yourself 3) Love without thought or judgment. Thank you my furry friend for these lessons – you have trained me well.
--Aaron Katcher, American Educator and Psychiatrist
“Properly trained, a man can be dog's best friend.”
--Corey Ford, American writer
I want to be like my dog. He’s so full of life and zest and love. He doesn’t second guess anything I say or do and he lives his life “full steam ahead”, no questions asked. He believes me when I tell him how pretty he is after a haircut. He eats his meals with relish and doesn’t bemoan how many calories are in the kibble. He jumps for joy when given a treat, and doesn’t wonder if he should go to Weight Watchers because he got an extra bone for dessert.
How wonderful to be able to take doggy naps whenever you want. How great to wake up happy and refreshed and full of energy. Why can’t I walk two miles and still want to play? Why can’t I wear a dorky looking sweater and look incredibly adorable?
Like my dog, I want to be able to live my life full of joy and eternal happiness – to show my loved ones how much I adore them and want to be with them; to shower my friends with kisses – and to not look crazy when I shake my butt because I’m incredibly happy to see them.
I want to live like my dog. He lives in the present moment. He finds joy in everything he does. He doesn’t over-plan his days, forgetting about living in the “right now”…in fact he relishes in just “being”. He relaxes with abandon, lying on his back without a care in the world. He knows he is loved and lets me know that he is grateful for it – and will return it a thousand-fold.
I want to live like my dog…never worrying about what size I am or how my hair looks. My dog doesn’t question if someone likes him; actually there is no doubt in his mind. He plays in the mud and sticks his head out of the car window to feel the wind in his face, gloriously taking in all his surroundings while his ears fly back behind his head. He smiles when he sees me, running with glee to tell me how much he’s missed me even if we’ve only been apart for a moment.
To be like my dog will make me a better person. I will always consider and appreciate my humanness, but will also try to learn to live what comes so naturally for my dog: 1) Enjoy life for what it is 2) Be yourself 3) Love without thought or judgment. Thank you my furry friend for these lessons – you have trained me well.
Sweet Home in California
The sun isn’t shining - yet. But very soon, I will see the reflection on the bright blue and green of the ocean. I can’t get enough of it. We are perched on top of a hill, with views of valley and mountains and ocean. I am back in California and am not only soaking up the sun, but the love and the comfort and memories of home.
I am sitting at my mom’s computer (she’s in her 80’s and knows more about the internet than I do) and looking up at a picture of my dad - his young, handsome, unlined face is looking down at me as I write. He’s wearing his flight jacket - the same musty, cracked leather brown bomber jacket that I wear during the cold winter months in Ohio. I went to see my dad a few days back. He’s buried in a lovely cemetery in the Garden of Valor - reserved for men and women that have served our country.
Soon I will take a walk along the canyon, smelling all the smells that evoke childhood memories: sage, eucalyptus and sea salt. We are having our “June Gloom” weather where it’s quite cool in the morning and fog is mixed with clouds. The sun will show up after lunch and then the rest of the day will be glorious.
I have spent the past week on the beach. I couldn’t get enough of the sand, the salt and the cold Pacific creeping up over my toes. I felt like a 4th grader, shouting as I watched dolphins swim off the pier - or a sea lion body surfing next to the surfers with the boards. I watched huge pelicans flying in formation, looking like small Pterodactyl dinosaur birds, diving into the ocean for their lunch. I collected sea shells for my always growing collection - memories to be taken back to Ohio for my “California room”.
I am not going to lie - I get very homesick. It’s as if I have one foot home in Ohio and one foot back here, in Southern California. I miss my kids and grandkids, my dogs and my friends. (My husband is with me so I am not missing him!). I miss my garden and the woods behind my house. But I also miss my mom, my sister and brother, the ocean where I learned how to body surf, my friends that I grew up with and that “California” feeling and attitude.
Those that know me don’t deny I am a little out of place in the mid-west. Although it is my home, there are times I may seem a little out of sync. (You can take the girl out of California, but you can’t take California out of the girl.) I’ve never tried to change my attitude or spirit. I guess for that very reason, it’s very easy to be living a life with one foot in each location. When I am home in Ohio, I live that life fully. When I come back home to California, I don’t miss a step.
It has taken me awhile to discover the reason why I am able to live two lives without becoming schizophrenic: I am at peace with myself. I am happy living and “just being” wherever I am planted. There is no doubt I am currently in one of the most beautiful places in the world. And I believe because of the gift that I am learning everyday - the gift of learning to love every waking minute and living for the “now” - I am able to soak up the wonderfulness and uniqueness of each location with relish, and not regret time away from either home.
Soon I will be back in Ohio, my time spent here fading like my tan. And instead of dwelling on not being here, and obsessing about planning my next trip, I will instead take a deep breath and appreciate the sights and smells of my current home. I will reflect upon my seashells and lounge in my beach-themed screened-in porch. I will choose not to be homesick; instead I will savor the memories of the ocean, while soak up the smells of pine, fresh mowed grass and smoke from the bonfire in our backyard. Instead of missing the view of the ocean, I will delight in the sight of the luscious woods behind our house, that house the bright red Cardinals and the furry-tailed squirrels. I will smile as I hear the dogs bark, the grandkids shout and my friends and family laughing and joking. Home is where the heart is. And I’ve decided it’s ok to share my heart with two different homes…and to not dwell where I can’t be - but instead to appreciate where I am.
I am sitting at my mom’s computer (she’s in her 80’s and knows more about the internet than I do) and looking up at a picture of my dad - his young, handsome, unlined face is looking down at me as I write. He’s wearing his flight jacket - the same musty, cracked leather brown bomber jacket that I wear during the cold winter months in Ohio. I went to see my dad a few days back. He’s buried in a lovely cemetery in the Garden of Valor - reserved for men and women that have served our country.
Soon I will take a walk along the canyon, smelling all the smells that evoke childhood memories: sage, eucalyptus and sea salt. We are having our “June Gloom” weather where it’s quite cool in the morning and fog is mixed with clouds. The sun will show up after lunch and then the rest of the day will be glorious.
I have spent the past week on the beach. I couldn’t get enough of the sand, the salt and the cold Pacific creeping up over my toes. I felt like a 4th grader, shouting as I watched dolphins swim off the pier - or a sea lion body surfing next to the surfers with the boards. I watched huge pelicans flying in formation, looking like small Pterodactyl dinosaur birds, diving into the ocean for their lunch. I collected sea shells for my always growing collection - memories to be taken back to Ohio for my “California room”.
I am not going to lie - I get very homesick. It’s as if I have one foot home in Ohio and one foot back here, in Southern California. I miss my kids and grandkids, my dogs and my friends. (My husband is with me so I am not missing him!). I miss my garden and the woods behind my house. But I also miss my mom, my sister and brother, the ocean where I learned how to body surf, my friends that I grew up with and that “California” feeling and attitude.
Those that know me don’t deny I am a little out of place in the mid-west. Although it is my home, there are times I may seem a little out of sync. (You can take the girl out of California, but you can’t take California out of the girl.) I’ve never tried to change my attitude or spirit. I guess for that very reason, it’s very easy to be living a life with one foot in each location. When I am home in Ohio, I live that life fully. When I come back home to California, I don’t miss a step.
It has taken me awhile to discover the reason why I am able to live two lives without becoming schizophrenic: I am at peace with myself. I am happy living and “just being” wherever I am planted. There is no doubt I am currently in one of the most beautiful places in the world. And I believe because of the gift that I am learning everyday - the gift of learning to love every waking minute and living for the “now” - I am able to soak up the wonderfulness and uniqueness of each location with relish, and not regret time away from either home.
Soon I will be back in Ohio, my time spent here fading like my tan. And instead of dwelling on not being here, and obsessing about planning my next trip, I will instead take a deep breath and appreciate the sights and smells of my current home. I will reflect upon my seashells and lounge in my beach-themed screened-in porch. I will choose not to be homesick; instead I will savor the memories of the ocean, while soak up the smells of pine, fresh mowed grass and smoke from the bonfire in our backyard. Instead of missing the view of the ocean, I will delight in the sight of the luscious woods behind our house, that house the bright red Cardinals and the furry-tailed squirrels. I will smile as I hear the dogs bark, the grandkids shout and my friends and family laughing and joking. Home is where the heart is. And I’ve decided it’s ok to share my heart with two different homes…and to not dwell where I can’t be - but instead to appreciate where I am.
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